[Treatment of partial motor status epilepticus in adults with intravenous diphenylhydantoin (DPH). Prospective study of 50 cases].

Fifty adult patients with partial motor status epilepticus were treated with a single intravenous (i.v.) injection of diphenylhydantoin (DPH), 20 mg/kg body weight at a rate of 1 mg/kg/min. Seizures were controlled in 32 patients (64%) during the injection or within the following hour; in 13 of them previous (i.v.) injections out of benzodiazepines had been ineffective. DPH was effective in 10 patients of 11 with a previous history of epileptic seizures and without problems of consciousness during their epileptic status. In contrast, 13 failures out of 18 concern occasional status in patients deeply comatose because of head trauma, neurosurgical operation or intracerebral hemorrhage. Total plasmatic levels of DPH, when measured 24 h after the injection, were found between 38 mumol/l in all patients, and were in the range of 40 mumol/l-100 mumol/l in 77% of cases. Adverse effects were: pain at the injection site (6 cases), horizontal nystagmus during injection (5 cases), transient cerebellar symptoms (3 cases). This study confirms that single loading doses of DPH can maintain DPH plasmatic levels within the therapeutic range during 24 h, with minor or transient side effects, provided that cardiovascular contra-indications are respected.